Will Age Affect Your Recovery Time?
Men and women of all ages undergo cosmetic surgery. While there is no maximum age limit, there are factors that should be considered before you decide on surgery, such as how your age will affect your recovery.
Age Does Matter
Although we would all like to say that recovery from surgery will be the same for all people, that’s simply not true, no matter your age. While patients of all ages can heal adequately and experience fantastic cosmetic surgery results, the length of recovery time might increase the older you are. This is due to the physiological changes that occur to your body. As you age, your skin loses its elasticity and collagen. This loss is not only crucial to the quality of your skin but is also vital to the tissues underneath. Collagen is essential for cellular development and tissue regeneration, and elasticity allows the tissues to recover. The decrease in these not only hinders healing time but also results in a higher risk of scarring.
Although not always true, age does increase chances for conditions that affect blood flow (such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes). Blood flow is vital to proper and swift healing, and having any condition that obstructs blood flow can affect the speed of your recovery and your ability to heal.
But You Should Also Consider. . .
While age can be a factor in your speed of recovery, it is not the only, nor the most, important aspect to consider before going under the knife.
Your Overall Health
Physical health and age do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. There are patients over 65 years old who are in great physical health, and there are patients in their thirties who are not. Being in good physical health is a requirement for cosmetic surgery, and it is a requirement that comes with many additional benefits. Not only will your good health keep complications during surgery to a minimum, but it will also aid in the speed of recovery and quality of results.
Smoking
Smoking comes with a laundry list of health-related complications. Smoking right before or after your surgery can increase these health complications. Since smoking decreases blood flow, the chance of complications during the procedure is heightened. Additionally, smoking after surgery can affect your recovery more than your age or level of health. This is why most surgeons require you to quit smoking before you undergo any procedure.
Lifestyle
Age can and does affect the rate at which you heal. Our bodies naturally change over time. This change is both undeniable and unavoidable; however, maintaining a healthy lifestyle before and after surgery can ease the process. Listen to your doctor’s advice about your recovery time: if you are instructed to rest, then rest; if you are instructed to get on your feet and go for a leisurely walk, then go for it and enjoy it. You undergo cosmetic surgery for yourself, and pampering yourself doesn’t come with an age limit. Because of this, age shouldn’t be a hindering factor if you desire a change; instead, it should be motivation.